FINAL DRAFT DAY ACTIONS 

Wolf Pack fans will understand the impact made by New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather’s announcement yesterday that the club has acquired forward Brian Boyle from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a third round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Boyle, 24, was a thorn in the side of the Wolf Pack throughout the season as he pretty much manhandled Pack center Artem Anisimov. With the various New York Rangers' beat reporters stating that ex-Pack center Blair Betts won't be returning to the team, (want to bet he ends up with Tom Renney in Edmonton?) there is now a need for a fourth line center. Ironically enough, Boyle will be competing with Anisimov for that spot on the Rangers roster.

Boyle is a big physical presence at 6’7” and 252 pounds. He was originally Los Angeles’ first round choice, 26^th overall, in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.  He appeared in 28 games with the Kings last season, registering four goals and one assist for five points, along with 42 penalty minutes.  Boyle also established career-highs in games played (28) and penalty minutes (42).  He notched three goals in a four-game span from March 28 at Nashville to April 4 vs. Phoenix.  The Hingham, MA native also skated in 42 games with the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League (AHL), recording 10 goals and 11 assists for 21 points, along with 73 penalty minutes.  He collected two points (one goal and one assist) in his season debut with the Monarchs on (the high holy day — my birthday) December 5 vs. Worcester.  In addition, Boyle posted two, four-game scoring streaks – December 13 vs. Providence to December 17 at Manitoba (one goal and four assists) and March 4 vs. Springfield to March 8 at Worcester (two goals and two assists).

The newly acquired center has skated in 36 career NHL games with LA recording eight goals and two assists for 10 points, along with 46 penalty minutes.  He registered two points (one goal and one assist) and a plus-two rating in his NHL debut on February 2, 2008 at New Jersey.  Boyle has also appeared in 114 career AHL contests with Manchester, collecting 41 goals and 42 assists for 83 points, along with 162 penalty minutes.  In 2007-08, he established AHL career-highs in games played (70), goals (31), assists (31), points (62), and penalty minutes (87).  That year, he led the Monarchs in goals, ranked second on the team in points and fourth in assists.  His 31 goals also led all AHL rookies and ranked 10^th in the league overall, while he finished second in the league among rookies with 62 points.  Boyle also tallied three goals and five assists for eight points in 16 postseason contests with Manchester during the 2007 Calder Cup Playoffs.

In another move, the Rangers also acquired goaltender Chad Johnson from the Pittsburgh Penguins, in exchange for a fifth round pick (151^st overall) in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.  Johnson, 23, appeared in 35 games with the University of Alaska-Fairbanks last season, and while his 14-16-5 record was nothing to get excited about, his 1.66 goals against average certainly gets your attention.  The Calgary, Alberta native was originally Pittsburgh’s fifth round choice, 125^th overall, in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

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A couple of thoughts for a Sunday afternoon…

Why are the Rangers looking for another high priced veteran like Dany Heatley? Don’t get on me about his level of talent. He’s a supremely gifted player. But you have to take the good with the bad. Heatley does have issues in his past that are unnecessary to rehash here, but they can't be ignored. There's also the fact that this is now the second time that he has  opted out of a team that believed in and stood by him. It's fair to question whether or not he's a team player in a game where that trait isn't a plus, it's a requirement. Does New York really need another selfish person like that?

There is also the issue of Heatley's contract and the $4 million payment that he's due this week. Don't the Rangers have enough bloated contracts on the books already that are hamstringing this team? In case you need reminding, we're talking about the underachieving Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, Wade Redden and  Michael Rozsival. No other team right now is anxious to rid the Rangers of these contractural mistakes, so why bring in another?

The message has finally seemed to get through to the upper towers in MSG HQ that this team needs speed and youth in order to compete for the Silver at the end of the rainbow. Hallelujah! We have been calling for that approach, along with many others including Jess Rubenstein of The Prospect Park, for as many years as we can recall.

Well, here are a couple of suggestions.

How about signing a couple of guys who have paid their dues in the minors and have earned their shot at making it with the big club?

P.A. Parenteau has served the franchise for a couple of season’s now in Hartford. He is an outstanding power play quarterback from the side boards. He plays decent enough defense. He brings energy and fire. He is a terrific passer with great ice vision and can put the puck in the net. At 5’11 and 195 pounds, the speedy right wing has been in the AHL the last two seasons in the organization and notched 63 goals and 96 assists for 159 points with 223PIM in 149 games. He is not an expensive proposition in terms of cap hit and can do what the Rangers so sorely need…score!

We think the Rangers should also bring back a former member of the organization in one, Alexandre Giroux. Giroux can play center or wing and at 6’3” and 190 pounds the 28 year old is coming off a MONSTER season in which he set all sorts of records. In 69 games with Hershey, Giroux notched 60 goals, 37 assists for 97 points and 84PIM. When Giroux was a member of the Wolf Pack for three seasons from '03 to '06, he put up 74 goals and 56 assists for 130 points in 167 games. Giroux did get 12 games in the NHL this past season, including a game against the Blueshirts, with Washington and scored a goal and tallied an assist. Giroux is ready for a full time run in the NHL. He's earned it.

Teamed on a line with Parenteau the duo would be a formidable tandem that wouldn't hit the cap like a deranged Chris Brown on Rihanna. That's something the Rangers should take a serious look at.

There are also a number of names that are banging hard on the door for NHL ice time. There are of course the names that everyone is familiar with, Corey Potter, Matt Gilroy, Bobby Sanguinetti and Michael Sauer on the charge from the D-Line. But we think you should watch out for a dark horse, David Urquhart. The organization has resigned the second year player already. He improved tremendously over the course of the season. As the season wore on, teamed with Sauer, they became the best defensive pairing the team had.

Urquhart can move the puck, can score, and has a hard shot from the point on the power play. He’ll need more time in Hartford but come this time next season to continue his development, but if he continues to improve at the rate he did last season, his star will rise and people will be talking about the undrafted defenseman as the next Dan Girardi.

Up front the names are just as familiar.

Artem Anisimov’s days in a Pack uniform are more than likely over. THe young Russian will graduate to New York for the coming season.

Dane Byers came back from a bad knee injur
y sustained early last season and played a solid role in the playoffs. He's getting ready for a shot at the bright lights of Broadway and is getting closer by the day.

Mike Ouellette had a slow start to his season but improved steadily all season. He told us however that his days with the organization are more likely than not, over. He said that he will most likely be playing in Europe next season.

Patrick Rissmiller is still under that bad contract the Rangers signed him to. Whether or not he’s in Hartford is still a mystery. He certainly didn’t show enough of anything to warrant a return to New York and his future here is uncertain.

There are two names that need to be watched carefully. One is Jordan Owens. Owens was given a two way deal by the Rangers and earned it. We are willing to bet what little house money we have that he will replace Fredrik Sjostrom in the starting four lines. Owens is a relentless forechecker…not afraid to hit anything that moves…will fight…can score and will probably battle anyone on the roster for fastest skater. 

The other name to watch, Dale Weise.

Dale grew immensely over the course of the season and like Urquhart could be challenging for a spot in the New York line up sooner rather than later. Weise improved exponentially over the season and was one of the Pack’s best players in the playoffs.

Anyone following this franchise would be making a huge mistake in underestimating the Winnipeg, Manitoba native who will turn 21 in August. At 6’2” and 209 pounds Weise is not afraid to get his nose dirty and is a tough right wing who discovered his scoring touch and will work more on that this coming season.

What the next crop of Pack players brings right now is anyone’s guess. But these are a few names to be on the look out for when the Rangers come into training camp.